Diablo Grande’s golf course to close next month. Will the resort change hands?
The owner of the Diablo Grande resort community has notified homeowners that the remaining golf course will close effective Oct. 19.
A notice dated Sept. 20 said it’s a “temporary closure” of the 18-hole course at Diablo Grande in western Stanislaus County. World International, the owner of the development, cited financial challenges in announcing the closure of the course.
Some homeowners are hopeful the golf links, called the Ranch course, won’t be out of service permanently. They cite rumors an investment group is taking a serious look at acquiring the development southwest of Patterson.
Jose Perez, president of the Diablo Grande Homeowners Association board, said he was told that World International will continue to water the course and perform minimal upkeep.
“I guess they are in the process of trying to sell the property,” Perez said. “They have no intention of letting (the course) dry out. Apparently, some investment groups are interested and one group is doing due diligence and is quite far into the process.”
World International said in the notice that the company has worked to maintain the amenities and services at Diablo Grande, spending substantial capital to upgrade the clubhouse and improve the level of service.
“Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond our control, we can no longer offer these services and amenities to the community,” the company’s notice said. The decision to close the remaining golf course was made “in light of financial challenges associated with operating the golf courses ... We understand this news is unsettling to the community.”
Mark Kovich, a Diablo Grande homeowner, said he received the notice from World International on Monday. He said it’s another disappointment for residents who have hoped the ownership would fulfill promises to homeowners.
“The golf course is a major part of the development that gives it appeal as a community,” Kovich said.
Several attempts to reach World International spokespeople were not successful Tuesday and Wednesday.
Donna Riley, county Treasurer-Tax Collector, said Wednesday that World International has outstanding tax bills on about half of its 340 parcels at Diablo Grande. The unpaid property taxes total more than $6 million.
“It is something we will want to get resolved,” Riley said. “I am certain they have received our notices.”
World International and a partner bought the Diablo Grande development months after the original developers declared bankruptcy in March 2008. Originally approved in 1993 as a 29,500-acre development – with luxury golf courses, a hotel and convention center and thousands of homes – Diablo Grande ran into lawsuits and only the 2,300-acre first phase was authorized.
To the delight of golfers, two 18-hole courses were built at Diablo Grande, including the prestigious Legends course bearing the design signatures of Jack Nicklaus and Gene Sarazen. It opened in 1998 and made the resort a destination for golfers who like to play top-rated courses.
When the Legends course was closed in 2014, it left the Ranch course as the primary golf attraction at Diablo Grande.
Jeremy Solis, coach for the golf teams at Patterson High School, said he hopes the girls team can finish their season this fall at the Ranch course. The team has home matches against Merced, El Capitan and Atwater high schools scheduled for Diablo Grande before the Oct. 19 closure date.
Solis said other courses in the area are crowded, making it difficult to find available time for practice and play. The coach will need to find another match location for the Patterson’s boys team in the spring and hopes Modesto Municipal and Dryden golf courses have availability.
Closure of the Ranch course will end a sort of Golden Age of higher quality golf opportunities in the region.
Stevinson Ranch, opened in Merced County in 1995, had a 20-year run before it closed after several years of declining play and drought. Like the Legends course, Stevinson was a destination for golfers, earning a top five ranking among public courses in Golf World’s Readers Choice Awards in 2010.
Designed by award-winning course architect Dennis Griffiths, the Ranch course also has tested golfers with its rolling terrain, bunkers and water. The view from a drone revealed dry ponds on the Ranch course this week.
Diablo Grande, with about 750 homes today, has struggled to realize its potential as a resort community. Additional homes need to be built and sold to make domestic water and other services viable for the community.
Perez said he is trying to stay positive about what appears is another setback for Diablo Grande residents. He said an on-site manager for World International provides him with some information on the latest developments.
“There is disappointment of course, because I play golf and enjoy playing,” Perez said. “It is a business for them, and it’s been a large investment for them. Right now, they are evaluating the financial situation and figuring out how much more to invest in this.”
Perez said he loves the peace and quiet of living at Diablo Grande and believes the development is a rare gem that can overcome its challenges.
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 7:18 PM.
